Wednesday, July 27, 2016

SFR eliminate 5,000 jobs, a third of its workforce – L’Express

The group’s management has announced that “ target effective ” during a meeting Tuesday on the proposed reorganization of the distribution points (shops and boutiques support functions) according to this union source.

It is “ premature to comment on the figures circulating even as trade ” with the unions are continuing, said Officer, told AFP.

In late June in New York, Patrick Drahi, who took control of SFR in 2014, had raised the “ overstaffed ” the telecoms group. When redeeming SFR by Numericable, a guarantee of continued employment of three years had been concluded. It shall expire on 1 July 2017.

The management of the operator reiterated Wednesday its willingness to respect the commitment Altice, parent of Numericable, upon redemption of SFR, while stressing the need for the group to “ modernize and reorganize .”

“ We initiated this movement and we want to do, nobody puts it into question ” internally, provides leadership, which explains conduct “ discussions with the social partners to find the best solution for all . ”

These cuts, the unions are “ try to limit “, could take the form of “ plans successive attrition ” according to a union source.

The first of these plans of job protection (PSE) concern the employees of “ distribution points “, which management intends to reorganize “ after the summer “September. This would take the form of a company transfers to another then the implementation of a voluntary redundancy plan, so that the new architecture is “ operational ” for Christmas.

This reorganization will lead to the creation of a consumer destination subsidiary and one for the enterprise market, had said in June the group.

The numerous savings measures initiated by Mr. Drahi SFR since its takeover in 2014 to 13 billion euros have been denounced repeatedly by the unions. These evoke a sharp deterioration in working conditions both within the company and at suppliers.

“ What we see is already a lot of people suffering and burn out. This will only get worse with job losses ” provided, observed the union source.